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Wireless Internet and PDA’sWireless Internet and PDA’s

Joshua Ward

Jward8402@yahoo.com

MIS 11:00 Class

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents

History of the PDA p. 3 History of the Internet p. 5 The PDA meets the Internet p. 6 WiFi Internet Access p. 8 Bluetooth Internet Access p. 9 Bluetooth or WiFi? P. 11 What Consumers Look For? P. 12 Top 3 Competitors p. 13 The Future of the PDA p. 14 Conclusion p. 18 Endnotes p. 19 Bibliography p. 20

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The History of PDA’sThe History of PDA’s

The Personal Data Assistant, also known as the PDA was first launched by PSION Corporation in 1984, the handheld was called the Psion 1.

1993- Apple tried to launch their Newton MessagePad, it was a failure. 1995- US Robotics acquired Palm Computing Company, leading to the creation of the

Palm Pilot. 1997- Apple tries to reenter market with the eMate, it was also unsuccessful. 1997- US Robotics bought by 3Com, and PalmPilots became major competitors. 1999- Palm leading market with Palm V Wireless Internet was added in the Palm VII, Palm remains the market leader. 1

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Past Uses of the PDAPast Uses of the PDA

CalendarAddress BookKeep AppointmentsMemosTasksPersonal Notes

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The History of the InternetThe History of the Internet

First Created by the US Department of Defense in 1962, it was called ARPANET.

Designed to provide a communications network that would survive even if some parts suffered a nuclear attack.

1986- National Science Foundation founded NSFNet, a cross country system that served as the backbone of the modern internet.

1989- Scientists at CERN developed the World Wide Web. In 1995, AOL, Prodigy, and CompuServe became available online,

making it user friendly and easy to use. 2

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The PDA Meets the InternetThe PDA Meets the Internet

Palm developed the first PDA that was capable of Wireless Internet connection.

The Palm VII, released in 1999 by Palm (3Com) added wireless internet access to the PDA market. 3

• The Palm VII

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The Wireless Internet and the The Wireless Internet and the PDAPDA

Contrary to popular belief, PDA’s do not have continuous internet connection like computers. 4

There are currently two different ways that capable PDA’s can connect to the internet:

WiFi internet accessBluetooth internet access 5

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WiFi Internet AccessWiFi Internet Access PDA’s that use a WiFi (wireless fidelity) connection connect to internet

differently than those that use a bluetooth connection. Using a WiFi connection, the user must find a hotspot where the connection

will work. hot spot - a specific part of an access point's range in which the general public

can walk up and use the network. The service may be available only for a fee, and the hot spot's range is usually short to control the physical proximity of the user. 6

These hotspots are usually found in airports, Starbucks, and some other restaurants.

WiFi connections are also very popular among home users. People who use DSL or cable connections are buying WiFi devices to connect other home computers to the one with the internet access, virtually turning their personal home into a hotspot. 7

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Bluetooth Internet AccessBluetooth Internet Access

Bluetooth is the second path to wireless internet connectivity. Bluetooth technology is most popular because of its line of wireless

earpieces for cell phones that was recently released and has become synonymous with the name.

Bluetooth technology, however, is much more than a way to connect your earpiece to your cell phone, it is a way to connect two devices, using a PAN. 8

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PAN vs. LAN NetworksPAN vs. LAN Networks

A Personal Area Network, also known as a PAN is the way that a bluetooth enabled PDA connects to the internet.

A PAN is used to connect devices (a handheld and a computer, for example) within a small space, such as a room. 9

A Local Area Network is better known as a LAN.

The most common use of LAN connections is to create a network of computers within an office building or a dormitory, that are connected to the internet. 10

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Bluetooth or WiFi?Bluetooth or WiFi?

Both Bluetooth and WiFi technologies accomplish the same thing, they allow one device to wirelessly connect to another.

But, is one method more efficient than the other. Looking at 5 categories, it would appear that bluetooth is more efficient at connecting devices to one another, however, when it comes to wireless internet connection, WiFi is much more efficient, mainly because it is faster, and has a higher bandwidth when transferring data. 11

Speed Applications Security Ease of use Power

Bluetooth Loser, operates at 720 kbps

Loser, only used in lieu of a cable, to connect one device to another

Winner, used to cover shorter distances, and bluetooth offers two levels of password protection

Winner, much easier to use, can be connected to up to seven devices at once.

Winner, requires less power, devices are smaller. Better for consumer electronic devices.

WiFi Winner, operates at 11mbps.

Winner, can be used in lieu of a cable, or to set up an entire network.

Loser, once someone is into your network, they have access to everything

Loser, requires same amount of management as any wired network.

Loser

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What makes one PDA better than What makes one PDA better than the next?the next?

PDA’s range in price from $100 to $650 12

Almost all of the PDA’s above the $300 range are capable of wireless internet connection.

The highest selling PDA at one Office Depot location is Palm’s Tungsten E.

– They sell the model for $199– It is not internet ready, in order to connect, you

need a data enabled mobile phone and an ISP account.

– The reason it sells the most is because it is cheaper than others, and comes with a free protective holster.

– A worker at the store said “People are most interested in the price of these devices, sure some of them have more features than others, but most people just want an affordable, efficient PDA.” 13

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The Top 3 PDA’s in the current Market The Top 3 PDA’s in the current Market (according to (according to www.cnet.comwww.cnet.com) ) 1414

Tungsten T5

Treo 650 Axim X30

Manufacturer PalmOne PalmOne Dell

Retail Price $399.00 $499.00 $296.65

Internet Access? What type?

No Yes, bluetooth, and gprs (cell phone)

Yes, integrated wifi and bluetooth

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The future of PDA’sThe future of PDA’s

Many people believe that PDA’s are becoming extinct, and will be obsolete in the near future.

While many others believe that PDA’s are still needed, and will continue to have their own niche in the market of consumer electronics.

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PDA’s are Finished! Give Them Up!PDA’s are Finished! Give Them Up! Single function PDA’s are no longer useful because of:

– Smart phones– Notebooks (laptops)– Portable Media players 15

Looking at Japanese technology, people can do everything with new smartphones:

– Everything a PDA can do (calendar, address book, sync with computer, internet connection)

– Plus, make phone calls, function as a credit card at a vending machine, control home alarm system, turn on sprinklers, etc.

– Smart phones do not use wifi or bluetooth technology for internet access, they use gprs technology, which allows you to connect to the internet as long as you are in an area with cellular coverage. Meaning that you do not need to be in a “hotspot”, or connected to another device, making it much easier to connect. 16

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PDA’s are still very useful, PDA’s are still very useful, Hold on to them!Hold on to them!

1)      Screens are large enough and easy enough to use for maps. Great from driving directions, and hiking use (GPS

navigation system). 2)      Quick to turn on and off, not like notebook where you must wait

five minutes to turn on and off. 3)      Easy to carry in pocket, impossible to do with notebook. 4)      Smart phones cannot be used in airplanes because they are cell

phones. Business travelers lose out on a lot of valuable time to do work in airplane because smart phones cannot be used.

5)      Smart phone keyboards and screens are too small to use easily. 17

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Possible Future Directions of Possible Future Directions of PDA’sPDA’s

One direction that PDA manufacturer’s may take, is to make them smaller, and easier to carry, such as Fossil’s Wrist PDA FX2008. The design, however, got poor reviews because of its difficulty in use. 18

Another obvious direction, that PalmOne has already begun, is to manufacture smartphones. RIM was one of the pioneers in this, with its BlackBerry models, partnered mainly with T Mobile. PalmOne has begun with its line of Treo’s, partnered mainly with Cingular Wireless.

Another possible direction is to make them better media players (mp3, video, etc.) Many models of PDA’s are capable of playing media files, but do not have much space, and the quality is oftentimes poor.

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ConclusionConclusion

PDA’s offer two different types of wireless internet access : WiFi access, and Bluetooth access.

The price of the handheld is the major factor driving its sales, most of them have many extra features (internet, media players, games, etc.), but the average person does not need one device that does everything.

PDA’s must continue to evolve; add easier and more widely available internet access, add better media players, contract with cellular service providers, etc. or they will become extinct!

In the future, I believe that PDA manufacturer’s will either contract with cellular service providers, or develop new technology that improves the availability and ease of internet access, in order to stay in the consumer electronic market.

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EndnotesEndnotes1. History of PDA’s. cctr.umkc.edu/~jblong/hist.htm 2. A Brief History of the Internet. www.walthowe.com/navnet/histor...  3. History of PDA’s. cctr.umkc.edu/~jblong/hist.htm 4. Personal Interview. Christopher, Office Depot. (404) 724-05845. Bluetooth vs. WiFi: Why it’s not a death match. David Coursey. May 30, 2002.

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-6033_16-4207317.html6. http://www.cnet.com/4520-7364_1-105323-9.html?tag=gloss7. Personal Interview8. www.cnet.com9. www.cnet.com10. www.cnet.com11. Coursey. http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-6033_16-4207317.html12. www.cnet.com13. Personal Interview14. www.cnet.com15. Molly to Handhelds: just die already. Molly Wood. February 24, 2005. http://www.cnet

.com/4520-6033_1-5690219-1.html?tag=prmo1 16. Personal Interview17. www.cnet.com18. www.cnet.com

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BibliographyBibliography

1. History of PDA’s. cctr.umkc.edu/~jblong/hist.htm

2. A Brief History of the Internet. www.walthowe.com/navnet/histor... 

3. A Personal Interview with Christopher. Office Depot Employee. March 17, 2005. 151 14th Street, Atlanta, GA. (404) 724-0584

4. Bluetooth vs. WiFi: Why it’s not a death match. David Coursey. May 30, 2002. http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-6033_16-4207317.html

5. http://www.cnet.com/4520-7364_1-105323-9.html?tag=gloss

6. www.cnet.com

7. Molly to Handhelds: just die already. Molly Wood. February 24, 2005. http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-5690219-1.html?tag=prmo1